Kitchen Refurbishment Costs and Planning Guide for London Homeowners
A kitchen refurbishment can range from a straightforward unit and worktop replacement to a full structural reconfiguration with new electrics, plumbing, and a relocated layout. The cost and complexity vary enormously — which is why budgeting for a kitchen project without understanding the full scope is one of the most common ways to run into trouble.
What Type of Kitchen Refurbishment Are You Planning?
Before thinking about cost, it's useful to categorise the project:
Cosmetic refresh: new units and worktops in the existing layout, minor electrical and plumbing connections. The structure, drainage, and M&E distribution stay the same. This is the most straightforward and lowest-cost category.
Full replacement in existing position: full strip-out and replacement of all units, worktops, appliances, and potentially some first-fix M&E. The kitchen stays in the same room and layout, but everything is renewed. Common in properties that haven't been updated for 15–20 years.
Layout reconfiguration: the kitchen moves within the same room, or internal walls are altered to change the room's shape or size. This introduces structural and M&E complexity — moving drainage, relocating gas supply, potentially removing a wall — that significantly changes the cost profile.
Kitchen as part of an extension: the most comprehensive category, where the kitchen moves into a new space entirely. This combines the full cost of an extension with kitchen fit-out and typically requires complete replanning of the ground floor layout.
Cost Ranges for Kitchen Refurbishments in London 2026
Cosmetic refresh (units, worktops, appliances in existing position): £8,000–£20,000 for a mid-range kitchen supply; £3,000–£8,000 for installation labour. Total: £11,000–£28,000 depending on product specification.
Full replacement in existing position (including some M&E work): £18,000–£40,000 including supply and installation, allowing for partial electrical upgrade, new tiling, and mid-range kitchen specification.
Layout reconfiguration (moving drainage, electrics, possibly a structural opening): £30,000–£70,000 depending on structural complexity. The structural works and M&E redistribution add significant cost that many clients initially underestimate.
Kitchen within a new extension: £70,000–£150,000+ depending on extension size and specification. See our separate guide to kitchen extension costs.
What to Plan Before You Start
Confirm the drainage position. If you want to move the sink or dishwasher to a different wall, the drainage connection must follow. On ground floors, this usually means cutting into the screed or concrete floor slab — a job that adds cost and lead time but is entirely manageable when planned in advance.
Commission an electrical check. Older properties may have existing ring main circuits that need upgrading to support modern kitchen appliances safely. A full rewire of the kitchen zone is sometimes more cost-effective than trying to work around an obsolete system.
Allow drying time. After screeding, plastering, or tiling, drying time must be built into the programme before units and appliances can be installed. Rushing this stage creates problems with moisture that appear later as staining, mould, or adhesive failure.
Confirm what is client-supplied. At RCB, second-fix materials — including kitchen units, worktops, appliances, and tiling — are client-supplied unless specifically agreed otherwise. We handle supply and installation when requested, but clients who source their own kitchen often achieve better quality at lower cost when they engage directly with kitchen suppliers.
RCB Design & Build handles kitchen refurbishments and kitchen extensions across London — from full structural reconfigurations to finish-only installations — as a principal contractor with a single point of responsibility.
07359 872594 | contact@rcbgroup.co.uk | www.rcbgroup.co.uk